DILI - A Brazilian man has been arrested for the alleged sexual assault of three underage girls in East Timor, an embassy official said Thursday.

Police have been tight-lipped about the arrest, but Dili public prosecutor Vicente Fernandes e Brito said the unidentified man's passport had been seized.

The embassy of Brazil confirmed the June 12 arrest of a Brazilian man on child sex charges in Dili, but gave no further comment.

"He is working (in East Timor) but I cannot mention his profession otherwise people would know him," the embassy official said.

The man is awaiting trial in Dili and is facing up to 20 years' jail, Brito said.

One of the girls he is accused of assaulting is 10 years old, he said. "I can only say that it happened in Dili and all the girls are in Dili. I can't say anything else because I need to protect the victims," he added.

Investigations are ongoing and the case could take up to a year before it is brought before a court.